ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA – Antioch police say they have identified Ryan Hardy, 23, as the suspect in the shooting of an 11-year-old girl who was hit in the head while inside her family’s vehicle earlier this week, and they are warning the public that he should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
Police say anyone who sees Hardy or knows where he is should call 911 immediately and should not try to confront him.
According to an Antioch Police Department press release, the shooting happened around 12:38 p.m. on January 5, 2026, in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 3915 Delta Fair Boulevard.
Officers responded to a report of shots fired and learned while they were en route that an 11-year-old girl had been struck by gunfire while inside a vehicle in the complex parking lot.
Police say the family drove to a nearby shopping center parking lot after the shooting, where multiple callers reported the vehicle’s location. Officers found the girl inside the vehicle and began rendering first aid until Contra Costa County Fire Department personnel took over, Antioch police said. The girl was transported to Children’s Hospital Oakland, where police said she was listed in stable condition.
NBC Bay Area reported Tuesday that the girl was in critical but stable condition, citing a family member who said she was alert and talking but unable to see. That detail has not been included in the Antioch Police Department press release.
Police are asking for help locating the suspect. Please consider posting this article on Facebook or Nextdoor so that anyone with information can come forward:
Police say the girl was seated in the passenger seat as the family was exiting the parking lot when the shooting occurred, and investigators have said the family does not appear to have been the intended target.
In the updated release, Antioch police said detectives identified Hardy through a combination of video surveillance, witness statements, and forensic evidence, and they encouraged him to peacefully surrender.
Police also said investigators have identified several individuals who allegedly helped Hardy evade law enforcement, and warned that those people — and anyone who knowingly assists him going forward — could be arrested as an accessory under Penal Code section 32.
Anyone with information related to the case is encouraged to contact Detective John Cox at (925) 481-8147 or by email at jcox@antiochca.gov, police said.
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